San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-19

have you or your mother Ia say 10 the bust
nessY
1 Nothing, nothing. / don't understand
anything yet myself, except that MIR. Will
/ lOughby, seeing me shrink under his ,insO-
/ lent stare at Chester and try 10 avoid him,
took 1t into his head that l was escaping
| with his mothers diamonds, and telegraphed
for two detectives TO meet me here with
seaTCh-waTTant'
"'Why, the man must be a mving lunatic
| I'll have him committed at Oncei Take me
| TO hm-quick, child, quick! cried my uncle,
starting up with flaming face, and clutching
( his swUrd-cane as he did so. Lead the way,
! Nell!
AT the office door, which he forced open
with kick-fOr uncle Ned Is very violent
when rOuSed-he thrust me back, TO my dis
! gust, for was just as excited as he.
mo, no, child; this is no place for you'll
Keep back; You must not face those coward
! ly scOundrels again; stay outside, like a
! good girlr
IL could have almost cried with disap-
! pOintment, for my blood was up, and | felt
quite equal to taking my part in the denOue-
mcnt.
Il stood as close to the door as | could;
| but the noise of an engine that was letting
/ on Slttlll Ill TIE SldtlOll IltNtllltu my hNai-
! ing anything but word here and there,
! though my uncle was believing at the top OF
| his voice and evidently having ii all his own
way. However, could follow the alterca-
ton with the help of such expressions as
'cowardly ruftian,' dastardly outrage most
| infamous, audaciOuS abuse of the law l
ever will have the case before Parliament
before the end Of the session. no lady able
| TO SanatipnC-'
| A departing shrek from the engine drowned
everything else; and, when the station was
quiet again, my uncle had ceased speaking,
and MI Willoughby was evidently having
! his innings; but, as his voice was much
lower and quieter, could not catch a single
word: and, at last, not able to restrain my
curiosity any longer, softly pushed open
the door, and entered unperceived by my
uncle, whose back was turned towards it.
"'NO, SIR Mr.. Willoughby was saying, in
| a stammering vOice-and his bold eyes were
| quickly averted when they met mine-'yQu
mistake me. l am not seeking to offer you
any apology for the objectionable affront l
have put upon this young lady, for feel at
present that no words of mine could mitigate
my offense. But, in justice to these two de-
tective officers whom you threaten to report
and degrade, beg you will listen TO the
grounds that had for summOning them to
my assistance You must know that for the
last fortnight have been actively engaged
| in my mothers behalf trying to discover
some trace of her stolen property, that l
| have followed clue after clue with most dis
heartening results; so, when | received a
| telegram at Liverpool yesterday evening,
telling me that one of the passengers on
board the North Wall boat which was to
cross that night was actually transporting
| the diamonds TO London, lost my head, and
| let nv zeal get the better of my judgment
! and discretion. | hurried to Chester with
the description in my pocket. Listen to it.
| [ beg of you, Colonel Clark-"A young wO-
man of prepOSsessing appearance, medium
| height fair hair curled on the forehead,
wearing a bright shawl striped in yellow
and red, carrying several parcels and bird
cage containing two canarteS." In the re-
| freshment-rOOm at Chester | saw your niece; ;
she wore the shawl you see on that chair
| observe the stripes, yellow and red-her
| hair is fair and Curled. her height is medium,
her appearance prepOs-- | mean, you
| will-yOu must admit he Stammered en-
| treatingly, there waS-lS some slight eX-
| tenuatOn for my subsequent shameful per-
secutiOn. Then the young lady's manner
| further miSled me, for meeting my glance,
| she certainly shrank from me in frightened
manner and fastened from the room. fol-
| lowed quickly, but lost her in the crowd.
| However, huTrving distTaCtedly along the
| platform, not knowing whether to enter the
| train or remain behind, | suddenly caught a
| glimpse of her in a SecOnd-CIaSS carriage,
| with brd-Cage containing two canarleS on
| her knee. My doubts were dispelled; L
| jumped into the train, wired to Scotland
| Yard at the next station, and, keeping a
sharp lookout, which | now know must
| have been extremely painful and offensive
to your niece, Il But you know the
rest. l am not going to APOLOGIZE would
not presume to crave her pardon; but, Col
| Onel Clark, beg you will consider the two
most misleading COincidences-the striped
shawl, the cage with the two canarieS-'
Hang the canares! Don't dare to offer
such pitilul subterfugeS to me- sirP burst in
my uncle, striking the fateful cage so ruth
| lessly that 1t fell from the chimney-piece
| with such force that the door was burst open
and the two poor birds luttered out terrified.
Dawson, who, with his companion, was
kneeling on the floor meekly repacking my
trunk, put out his hand to pick it up, and
then spTang to his feet with a cry of amaze
ment, holding the cage bottom upwards.
Mr.. WIlIOughby! Your diamonds, your
diamonds! Pye found 'em! Look, lOOkp
he shouted, tearing Ont the bottom board of
the cage, which had become lOOsened by the
force of the fall Here's the six thousand
| pounds worth safe as an egg in its nest!
See-the seed-drawers are shamS-Only go
an inch through the wood The rest is a
pocket for swag, opening with a spring
| which no me would ever have found out.
What beauties! They're all right sir, aren't
they%
Eyes, yes answered Mr.. Wiloughby,
his black eyes glittering-'necklace, ear
rings, cOrOnet-all-nOt a stone wanting
| hurTahp
Eleanor gaspcd my uncle, with rather
ashy cOnntehance gazing at the sparkling
| Jewels, 'hOw-hOw did that cage come into
your possession
Then the whole truth dawned on me,
and | eagerly related how | came to make
the acquaintance of the artlesS Mrs. OToOle,
and how she had made Inc wear her shawl,
apprOpriating my own valuable scarf, and
forced the cage on me with the solemn in
junction never to let it out of my hands for
a moment until had delivered it into her
sisters keeping on my way from the rail-
| way station.
I" L see through it all; it's as plain as a
pikestaffp burst in Mr.. Willoughby, scowl-
ing stealthily, while rather cynical smile
dawned on the detectives countenances.
You have been made regular cat's-paw of,
! Miss Holmes. The little thief must have
seen and recognized me at Chester, or have
received some intimation of my presence
from her accOmplices, then, believing natur-
ally that the station was Swarming with de-